Glycaemic Rises after Waking Up in Response to an Alarm Clock in Type 1-diabetic Patients Analysed with Continuous Glucose Monitoring (GlucoDay^® S)

Abstract

Aims: Waking up in response to an alarm-clock may evoke a stress reaction that leads to rising glucose concentrations.

Method: 30 type 1-diabetic patients participated in 3 overnight conditions: (a) with an alarm-clock set at 2 h intervals for glucose self monitoring, (b) with a nurse performing blood glucose determinations, and (c) with the patients left undisturbed. Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) was performed with a GlucoDay^® S device.

Results: After waking up in response to an alarm-clock, CGM-determined glucose concentrations rose by 18±6 mg/dl at 4 a.m. (p=0.0003), whereas negligible increments were seen with nurse assistance (e. g., 0±4 mg/dl at 4 a.m.).

Conclusions: Waking up in response to an alarm-clock leads to an arousal reaction that causes significant elevations in glucose concentrations. Continuous glucose monitoring is a suitable method to detect such short-lived increments in glucose concentrations. But at the moment the CGMS is not able to substitute for inpatient glucose profiles. Registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, Identification number NCT00740012.

Key words

glucose profiles - night profiles - basal insulin - stress - arousal - continuous glucose monitoring

References

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